Golda Meir, Israel’s first female prime minister, writes in English to American industrialist Albert Soffa inviting him to the “first meeting of the International Economic Advisory Council.” Among the details of the conference, Meir suggests the weight of the tasks facing her government, concluding by saying that while the Israeli government is “naturally burdened as a first priority with the maintenance of our security and the struggle for peace, we dare not for a moment divert our attention from the crucial need of maintaining and expanding Israel’s economic momentum on which so much depends.”

Albert Soffa (1920-2005) was a mechanical engineer with degrees from Drexel and Harvard. After forming a 1951 partnership with Frederic Kulicke, the pair went on to become leaders in the wire bonding field, a key component of linking integrated circuits or other semiconductors in electronics. He was active on many boards including the Ben Gurion University Board of Governors and a trustee of Drexel University.

Golda Meir (1898-1978) was a signer of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Born in Kiev, she lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1906-1921), then settled in Palestine and took up social work, becoming a leading figure in the Labor Movement. She served as Israeli Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1948-49); Minister of Labor (1949-1956); Foreign Minister (1956-1966) and Prime Minister (1969-1974).